Technical Bulletin 33

May 2019. Revision 2.

This issue supersedes all previous issues.

ZINCALUME® steel and zinc-coated

steel in high temperature and food
contact applications
INTRODUCTION
BlueScope manufactures ZINCALUME®
aluminium/zinc/magnesium alloy-coated steel
and zinc-coated steel products with a variety of
coatings and finishes to meet the needs of
customers.
For the purpose of understanding the effects of
elevated temperature application, these products
can be classified into two groups being
ZINCALUME® steel and zinc-coated steel.
This Technical Bulletin provides information
relating to the use of ZINCALUME® steel and
zinc-coated steel in high temperature and food
contact applications.
In general, for applications involving elevated
temperatures, depending on the structural
requirements of the component and the
temperatures involved, potential changes to the
mechanical properties of the base steel, at
temperature and subsequent to heating, should
be considered.
ZINCALUME® STEEL
ZINCALUME® steel must not be exposed to
temperatures in excess of 200ºC.
ZINCALUME® steel is supplied with a clear
acrylic coating with a thickness of 1-2µm. This
acrylic coating is prone to degradation above
200ºC and can generate fumes above 250ºC.
These fumes may be associated with a heavy
odour and discoloration of the metal surface.
ZINC-COATED STEEL
Zinc-coated steel must not be exposed to
temperatures in excess of 250ºC.
At temperatures between 250ºC and 300ºC, Fe-
Zn alloy growth occurs which appears as spots /
blankets on the surface which obscures the
spangle pattern.
Between 300ºC and 350ºC, there is fracturing
and detachment of the zinc coating and
embrittlement of the base steel.
FOOD CONTACT APPLICATION
ZINCALUME® steel should not be used in any
applications in contact with food, although it is
suitable as a catchment for rain water harvesting.
The surface treatments used in ZINCALUME®
steel and the zinc in zinc-coated steel can
become soluble when in contact with food acids.
As such, containers manufactured from
ZINCALUME® steel and zinc-coated steel must
not be used to store food or beverages.
The use of ZINCALUME® steel (which is
manufactured with a clear acrylic resin coating)
in toasters and heaters is not recommended due
to the temperature application issues outlined
above.
Aluminium/zinc/magnesium alloy-coated steel
without a resin coating may be suitable in these
applications.

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The information and advice contained in this Technical Bulletin (‘Bulletin’) is of a general nature only and has not been prepared with your specific needs in mind. You should always obtain specialist
advice to ensure that the materials, approach and techniques referred to in this Bulletin meet your specific requirements. BlueScope Steel Limited makes no warranty as to the accuracy,
completeness or reliability of any estimates, opinions or other information contained in this Bulletin and to the maximum ext ent permitted by law, BlueScope Steel Limited disclaims all liability and
responsibility for any loss or damage, direct or indirect, which may be suffered by any person acting in reliance on anything contained in or omitted from this Bulletin. ZINCALUME®, BlueScope and the
BlueScope brand mark are registered trademarks of BlueScope Steel Limited. © 2019 BlueScope Steel Limited ABN 16 000 011 058. All rights reserved.